Water heater



A 1941- E. GRUENSTEIN ET AL 2,253,072

WATER HEATER Filed June 25, 1958 2 SheetsSheet 1 ATTORNEY.

Aug. I9, 1941- E. GRUENSTEIN ET AL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WATER HEATER INVENTORS /I/J/"[//I/ Filed June 25, 1938 ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 19, 1941 WATER HEATER Edgar Gruenstein, New York, and Harold Pollack, New Rochelle, N. Y., assignors to Hargar, 1110., New York, N.. Y., a corporation of New I York Application June 25, 1938, Serial No. 215,140

7 Claims.

This invention relates to water heaters and more particularly to water heaters of the type in which. water for domestic purposes is heated upon passing through a heat transfer device connected with the usual house heating boiler or other steam furnace.

Such systems are in common use and during the winter months function satisfactorily, but during periods of warm weather such heaters have not been capable of supplying sufiicient quantities of hot water unless large amounts of fuel were consumed in the furnace with resulting high cost of operation.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide in a system of this type, a heater which is capable of supplying ample quantities of hot Water during both summer and winter seasons and which does not require alterations in structure or mode of operation when changing from one season to another.

Afurther defect which arises in connection with such heaters residesin the fact that as heretofore constructed and connected with the furnace, there are certain forces which act to prevent the rapid circulation of hot Water from the boiler through the heater thus greatly limiting the capacity of the system for heating the water to the desired temperature or for supplying it in the quantities desired.

It is among the objects of the present invention to overcome this defect and provide a water heater free from the forces normally opposing circulation therethrough and for improving both the circulation within the heater and that within the boiler to which it is connected.

The invention further resides in details of construction and arrangements of parts, the nature and advantages of which will be more particularly described in the accompanying detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in Which- .Fig. 1 shows a portion of a furnace or boiler and illustrates the manner in which our improved water heater is connected therewith; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of our improved water heater with parts removed to show the internal structure; and Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2 with parts broken away in section.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates a boiler or furnace which in the instance shown is of the type formed of a plurality of cast ironsections. A heat interchanger 2 formed of 4 is below the water line 5 of the boiler. A plurality of feed pipes 6 connect each section of the boiler l with the heat interchanger Z, and it will be noted that all parts of these connections lie below the normal water line 5 of the boiler. Furthermore, there are no upwardly extending portions in the feed pipes 6 which would compel the hot water from the furnace to move in an upward direction at any point of the connections. The pipes 6 are preferably of flexible metallic material to avoid the necessity of having the boiler tappings in absolute alignment. Similar return pipes I provide for the return flow of water from the bottom portion of the heat interchanger 2 to. each section of the boiler, and it will be noted that these connections open into the boiler sections at points approximately level withthe lower portion of the heat interchanger 2. An upward extension 8 of the casing 3 provides a steam chamber 9 within the interior thereof, which chamber is located above the water line 5 and is preferably connected with the steam space of the boiler I by a steam feed pipe iii having a valve i i therein. A pipe [2 supplies cold water from a suitable source to theheat' inter-changer 2 and a pipe I3 provides a hot water discharge pipe which conducts Water from the heater to the point or points of use after the same has passed through the heaterin a manner which will be hereinafter more particularly described.

In the form shown, the pipe I2 is directly connectedlwith a preheater loop id which is positioned in the upper portion of the steam chamber 9. A connecting tube i5 extends from the discharge end of the preheater loop M to a loop IE positioned in a chamber I! formed in an extension i8 at the lower end of the casing I. This loop, it will be observed, is on the same level as the discharge or return pipes I. From the loop I6 the water passes through a plurality of loops or coils l9 positioned within the main body or Water chamber 4 of the heater, progressing in a generally upward direction to the last loop 29 which is positioned in a chamber 2| formed in 'the lower portion of the upward eXtensionB of the casing 3 and immediately below the steam chamber 9. It will be observed that this coil or loop 20 is at approximately the same level as the feed pipes 6. A partition 23 having openings 24 separates the steam chamber 9 from the water space formed by the chambersfi and 2|. It is preferable but not essential to provide flat valves 25 for the openings 24 to prevent Water from the chamber 2| from entering the steam chamber 9 while permitting water condensed from the steam in chamber 9 to enter the water chamber 2!. Automatic air valves 26, which are preferably of the Sylphon snap-acting type, are connected to the upper portion of each of the chambers 9 and 2| and permit the quick expulsion of air from these spaces.

In the operation of the device as above described, the boiler is operated at all times at a normal water level which is indicated by the dotted line 5. In the operation of previous systems, it will be noted that during the summer months when no heat is required for house heating purposes, and when the boiler king valves are shut, if a pressure is built up within the steam boiler; the circulation to the conventional hot water heater is greatly reduced, and it thus fails to supply hot water in the necessary quantities or at the desired temperature. It then becomes necessary to raise the water level in the steam boiler to increase the speed of circulation of the water from the steam boiler to the heater. This requires a greater volume of water to be heated, and if the boiler is to be used for heating purposes occasionally, as in the spring or fall months, the water line must be dropped to normal and then raised again. In the device as above described, even though the steam pressure rises in the boiler, it cannot accumulate in the upper portion of the heat transfer device and thus oppose. circulation through the heater. This is due to the fact that a steam chamber is provided in communication with the upper part of the heat exchanger and a steam line is connected between this steam chamber and the steam space of the boiler,

thus equalizing the pressures therebetween and permitting the utilization of 1 the steam as a medium for preheating the cold water flowing to the heat interchanger. By this arrangement no dead steam pocket can form in the upper po-r tion of the heat exchanger or in the connections leading from the furnace to the interchanger. Furthermore, the water flowing to the interchanger is promptly cooled below the temperature at the steam level within the furnace by immediate contact with the loop 20 located in the upper portion of the interchanger and thus no body of hot Water opposing the fiow of water at a similar temperature can accumulate in the upper portion of the interchanger.

A further important improvement over the prior art resides in the manner in which the return pipes 1 are connected between .the boiler sections and the heat interchanger 2.- Ordinarily such return pipes extend from the heater to the lowermost portion of the boiler or furnace. We

have found that such a disposition of the return.

pipes interferes with the circulation of boiler water through the heater. to the factthat in passing through the heat interchanger the water from the upper part of the boiler usually is not cooled to such an extent that its temperaure is below the temperature of the water at the bottom portion of the boiler or fur- We believe this to be due tively hot zone in the boiler. The water returning from the heater is thus cooler than the water within the boiler at the points of discharge and it therefore drops immediately toward the lower portion of the boiler. This permits a free circulation of water through the heater while also providing a turbulence within the boiler which increases the effectiveness of the heat absorbing surfaces thereof.

While there has been hereindescribed but a single embodiment of the invention, other embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art. In particular it will be understood that the arrangement of the loopswithin the heater 2 may be differentfrom that shown in the drawing's. For example, the loop 14 might well be used for superheating the water flowing through the heating coils rather than for preheating the water. In such a case the supply pipe I2 would lead directly to the lower loop l6 of the heater and the hot water discharge pipe l3 would lead directly from the upper loop [4 to the point or points of use.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is: i

l. A water heater comprising a casing forming a water chamber and a steam chamber in communication therewith, means for supplying hot water to said water chamber and discharging cooled water therefrom, means for supplying steam to said steam chamber, and a pipe for first passing water to be heated through the steam chamber in heat absorbing relation to the steam therein and then upwardly through the water chamber in heat absorbing relation to the water therein.

2. A system for supplying hot water comprising a steam boiler,.a water heater, including a casing forming a water chamber and steam chamber, means for supplying hot water from said boiler to saidwater chamber and discharging cooled water therefrom, means for supplying steam from said boiler to. said steam chamber, a pipe forpassing water tobe heated in heat absorbing relation to the steam in the steam chamber and thence to the water in the water chamber, and a float valve controlling communication between said'water and steam chambers.

3. A water heater comprising 'a casing, said casing being cruciform in transverse section, means to supply hot water to the lowerportion of the uppermost arm'of said-casing,-means to discharge cooledwater from the lowermostarm of said casing, a partition in said uppermost arm above said hot water supply means dividing the interior of said easing into an upper-stea'mchamber and a lower Water chairmen-said partition having openings therein permitting communication between said steam chamber and said water chamber, means for circulating water to be heat-v ed through said lower chamber in heat absorbing relation to the hot water therein, and means for preheating said water in said steam chamber.

4. A water heater comprising a casing which is cruciform in transverse section, means to supply. steam to the upper portion of the uppermost arm of. said casing. to form a steamrchamber therein, a plurality of laterally extending pipes connected to the lower portion of said uppermost arm to supply hot water to said casing, a plurality of laterally extending pipes connected to the lowermost arm of said casing to discharge cooled water therefrom, and a pipe for circulating water to be heated first throughsaid steamchainber in heat absorbing relation to the steam therein and then through said water chamber in counterflow relation to the circulation of water therein.

5. A system for supplying hot water comprising a steam boiler, a casing forming a chamber, con- [nections for the supply of hot water from said boiler to said casing and for the return flow from said casing to said boiler, a pipe forming a connection between the steam space of said boiler and the uppermost portion of said casing, a member forming a horizontally extending passage in theupper portion of said casing entirely above the water level therein for conducting Water to be heated therethrough, and connections between said member and the lowermost portion of said casing for conducting preheated water from said member to the lowermost portion of said casing and thence upwardly through the water in said chamber.

6. A system for supplying hot water comprising a steam boiler, a heat interchanger, connections for the supply of hot water from said boiler to said interchanger and for the return flow from said interchanger to said boiler, a pipe forming a connection between the steam space of said boiler and the uppermost portion of said interchanger, and means to pass water to be heated through the uppermost portion of said interchanger in heat absorbing relation to the contents thereof and thence to the lower portion of said interchanger and upwardly in heat absorbing relation to the boilerwater therein.

'7. A system for supplying hot water comprising a steam boiler, a heat interchanger comprising a casing forming an upper steam chamber and a lower Water chamber, a connection for the supply of hot water from said boiler to said water chamber and for the return flow of cooled water from said water chamber to said boiler, 21. pipe forming a connection to said steam chamber from the steam space of said boiler, and means to pass water to be heated to said steam chamber in heat absorbing relation to the steam therein and thence upwardly through said water chamber in heat absorbing relation to the water passing therethrough from said boiler.

EDGAR GRUENSTEIN. HAROLD POLLACK. 

